September 1 - 30, 2018

20TH ANNUAL Pawtucket Arts Festival

WHAT WE DO

The Pawtucket Arts Festival celebrates the City’s creative and cultural life by presenting vibrant arts events throughout the month of September to Pawtucket residents and visitors to the Blackstone River Valley.

We collaborate with local and international producing partners to present dance, music, theatre, film, visual, and folk-traditional arts that evoke the City’s historic legacy and diverse communities. Many of our events are free and for audiences of all ages.

We are thrilled to work alongside our friends and partners to produce the 2018 Festival - which marks our 20th year Anniversary!

enjoy the park

Music, Art, Food, and More

Join us September 8 - 9 at slater park fall festival

This festival features an open-air market that highlights crafters, artisans, and creators of original handmade items selling their wares from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 8 - Sunday, September 9.

This year's Slater Park Fall Festival also includes a pop-up skate park organized by Collective PVD, food trucks, a pop-up printshop run by Ocean State Maker Mill, a vintage baseball game, family-fun activities, music and poetry performances, and the Pawtucket Teachers' Alliance presentation of the RI Philharmonic 'Pops in the Park' followed by fireworks.

Hope to see you there!

*Inner Park Shuttle Available on the Newport Ave Loop on Saturday, September 8 only

NATE CARROLL, RHD-RI

Schedule of Events

Food, Art, Music, and Community

Arts "Pawtucket Style"

Each year, the Pawtucket Arts Festival features long-time favorites, such as Slater Park Fall Festival, the Pawtucket Teachers' Alliance Pops in the Park performance of the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Taiwan Day Festival, the RI-Chinese Dragon Boat Races, SAM’s Fest, and Mixed Magic Theatre Greatness of Gospel Concerts. These events engage thousands of people in the City’s creative and cultural life.

Scheduled to run from September 1 through September 30, the 20th Anniversary PAF will feature debut performances and arts encores that honor the festival’s legacy, while charting its future cultural course.

Mark your calendar now for Downtown Rising, a convergence of three music festivals that represent the cultural diversity of our beloved city, Pawtucket. Rocktucket is finally back after a short hiatus and now accompanied by River Bend and Culture Shock to bring Downtown Pawtucket alive on Saturday, September 22nd from 11am to 7pm.

Downtown Rising will feature a variety of live music, street performers, activities for children, stunt bike exhibition by Circuit BMX, classic cars, food trucks, art vendors and installations, and fun for the whole family. This is a family friendly event aimed at bringing the whole community together to celebrate 20 years of Pawtucket Arts Festival.

VSA Arts in the Park at Slater Park Fall Festival

Chachi and the International players

Collective PVD Skate Park

Ocean State Maker Mill

Artist MAY BABCOCK

"These events bring us all together like no others, connecting us to our roots, our pasts, and our futures, and we are deeply grateful for opportunities to meet and be together with people of such beautiful diversity. Well done, PAF!"

AUBREY ATWATER, FROM ATWATER-DONNELLY

SUPPORTING THE ARTS

Arts Panel Grant

Funding new artworks

Each year the Pawtucket Arts Festival works alongside the Mayor’s Advisory Commission on Arts and Culture and the Arts Panel Grants Review Committee to elevate the City’s many artists and culture makers, and to make art events free to the public during the month of September. They are our partners-in-arts, and working arm-in-arm with the Festival, are bold advocates for the City’s many arts communities.

The Arts Panel Review Grant Committee convenes each Spring to award a total of $10,000 to artists and non-profit organizations to create enriching art events throughout the City.

This year's program will ward up to $1,000 to nonprofit organizations, for-profit organizations, or individual/group artists in support of new art works and arts and cultural programming that is made available to Pawtucket residents and visitors during the 20th Anniversary Pawtucket Arts Festival,September 1 - 30, 2018.

Crossing Borders Exhibition, Pawtucket

Location

Historic Pawtucket

For the past 19 years, the Pawtucket Arts Festival has celebrated and presented the amazing talent of our arts community.

Our continuous aim is to ensure a place for the arts in the Pawtucket of tomorrow. Because the arts are essential to vibrant lives, the 2018 Pawtucket Arts Festival will focus on education and public engagement that will amplify our impact and make the arts even more valued, more visible, and more deeply embedded in our communities and in our City.

Typically, people travel to differentcities, and even different countries tosee an event matching the quality ofthe Pawtucket Arts Festival.